Drawn absorbent polymer fibers

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for producing an aqueous phase- or water-absorbing polymer fiber from a composition comprising a polymer (A1) and water in an amount of at least 10 wt. %, based upon total weight of the polymer (A1), whereby at least two different regions of the polymer (A1) are moved away from each other by free pulling apart as a result of the effect of an external force and a device for producing these fibers, an absorbent polymer fiber as well as the use of these absorbent polymer fibers and of the device.

1 . A process for producing an aqueous phase- or water-absorbing polymer fiber from a composition comprising a polymer (A1) and water in an amount of at least about 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymer (A1), wherein at least two different regions of the polymers (A1) are moved away from each other by free pulling apart as a result of the effect of an external force.  
   
   
       2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein through the pulling apart of the polymer (A1) an elongated structure is formed.  
   
   
       3 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the pulling apart occurs in a housing which is not form-locked for the elongated structure.  
   
   
       4 . The process according to any one of the preceding claims  claim 1 , wherein the external force is at least about 0.1 N.  
   
   
       5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer (A1) is post-crosslinked during or after the pulling apart.  
   
   
       6 . The process according to  claim 5 , wherein the post-crosslinking occurs by irradiation.  
   
   
       7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer (A1) is based, besides water, on: 
 (α1) about 0.1 to about 99.999 wt. % of polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated, acid groups-containing monomers or salts thereof or polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising a protonated or quaternated nitrogen, or mixtures thereof,    (α2) 0 to about 70 wt. % of polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated monomers co-polymerizable with (α1),    (α3) 0 to about 30 wt. % of one or more crosslinkers,    (α4) 0 to about 30 wt. % of water-soluble polymers, and    (α5) 0 to about 20 wt. % of one or more additives, wherein the sum of the weight quantities (α1) to (α5) amounts to 100 wt. %.    
   
   
       8 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer (A1) has at least one of the following properties: 
 a. a polydispersity D of at most about 8,    b. a viscosity in a 30 wt. % polymer-containing aqueous solution at 23° C. within a range from about 100 to about 500000 mPa.s,    c. a viscosity in a 30 wt. % polymer-containing aqueous solution at 60° C. within a range from about 100 to about 100000 mPa.s,    d. a weight average of the molecular weight (M W ) within the range from about 50000 to about 2,000,000 g/mol.    
   
   
       9 . A device comprising: 
 (β1) a polymer feeds,    (β2) at least two movable surfaces,    (β3) a fiber-accepting device,    (β4) a fiber formation area, and    (β5) an irradiation device arranged in the fiber formation area, wherein the movable surfaces are arranged moving away from the polymer feed and with an increasing distance to each other from the polymer feed, forming the fiber formation area and the fiber-accepting device is arranged at least partially in or outside the fiber formation area.    
   
   
       10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the movable surfaces are as belts.  
   
   
       11 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the fiber-accenting device is a movable collecting surface or a suction device.  
   
   
       12 . The device according to  claim 11 , wherein adjacent to the collecting surface a take up device comprising an edge is arranged.  
   
   
       13 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein an irradiating device is arranged at least partially in the fiber formation area or adjacent to the collecting surface or to the take up device or at least two thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the production of the absorbent polymer fiber occurs by means of a device defined in  claim 9 .  
   
   
       15 . An absorbent polymer fiber obtainable according to a process according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       16 . An absorbent polymer fiber according to  claim 15  with at least one of the following properties: 
 (γ1) a part soluble in water after 16 hours of less than 30 wt. %, based on the absorbent polymer fiber, according to ERT 470.1-99,    (γ2) a part soluble in water after 1 hour of less than 30 wt. %, based on the absorbent polymer fiber, according to ERT 470.1-99,    (γ3) a Centrifuge Retention Capacity (CRC) of at least about 5 g/g, according to ERT 441.1-99,    (γ4) an Absorption Against Pressure (AAP) at a load of 0.3 psi of at least about 10 g/g according to ERT 442.1-99,    (γ5) an Absorption Against Pressure (AAP) at a load of 0.7 psi of at least about 5 g/g according to ERT 442.1-99.    
   
   
       17 . A fiber matrix sheet structure comprising at least two of the absorbent polymers according to  claim 15 .  
   
   
       18 . A fiber matrix sheet structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the sheet structure is a laid material, a mesh, a woven material, a knitted material, a wound material or a non-woven material.  
   
   
       19 . A composite comprising an absorbent polymer fiber according to  claim 15  or a fiber matrix sheet structure according to  claim 17 .  
   
   
       20 . Use of a device according to  claim 9  for the production of absorbent polymer fibers.  
   
   
       21 . A chemical product comprising an absorbent polymer fiber according to  claim 15 , a fiber matrix sheet structure according to  claim 17  or a composite according to  claim 19 .  
   
   
       22 . A chemical product comprising an absorbent polymer fiber according to  claim 15 , a fiber matrix sheet structure according to  claim 17  or a composite according to  claim 19.